Tongs



W. HEHMANN.

TONGS.'

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I8, 1.919.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Application filed June 18,

To all w 710m t may concern:

Be it known that I, vWiLLniii HERMANN, a citizen of Germany, (havingobtained first citizenship papers for United States,) residing atBrooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Tongs, of which the following is aspecification.

Although this invention may be said to relate to that class of devicesknown as tongsf7 yet it has particular application to a `peculiar formof tool capable of uses and functions unattainable with tongs and pliersof known construction.

In working around or upon modern machines, engines and other mechanicalstructures, much annoyance, inconvenience and delay is frequentlyexperienced in handling small parts, such as cotter pins, nuts, bolts,washers, small springs, and the like. Especially is this so where asmall part is to be placed in or removed from a section of the machineor engine which is inaccessible or at least diflicult of access, whenthe engine or machine is assembled. For instance, in removing orinserting a pin in the stem of a valve in an internal combustion engine,the operation must usually be performed while the valve springis heldvcontracted under tension and as the hole through the stem of the valveis difhcult of access under such'conditions it is practically impossibleto manipulate the pin with the naked hand. lVith my improved implementhowever, the pin may be readily and firmly grasped and manipulated asdesired. Furthermore, my implement will be found peculiarly adapted forpicking up bolts, screws, nuts vand the like that may accidentally fallinto the dust or oil pan of an automobile engine or that may drop intothe cylinders thereof whenr the latter are open for cleaning or repair.The implement will also be found useful for gripping a piece of cottonwaste of suitable size to form a swab for wiping out or cleaning theinterior of the cylinders of an engine.

It is also my purpose to provide a tool of this character, and capableof performing these functions, which is of relatively great length withrelation to its width and which is provided with powerful, small andcoinpact gripping aws at one end operable by a lever handle from theopposite end so that the tool may be readily actuated to insert andremove small articles to and from Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

1919. Serial No. 305,044.

places inaccessible to the hands of the 0perator.

.Another object of'niy invention is to provide' a tool which may beeconomically manufactured and marketed inasmuch as the body portion ofthe tool may be fashioned from'slieet metal, and as the tool is composedof but very few vand simple parts, the same may be made in greatquantities at a relatively low cost of production.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a tool which willembody the desiredfeatures of simplicity, efficiency and reliability andwhich may be readily and easily manipulated with one hand.

With the above recited objects and others or asimilar nature in view myinvention consists in the construction, combination and. arrangement ofparts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1, is a view partially in section and partially in elevation of aconventionally illustrated engine cylinder and showing the manner ofemploying my tool to remove a small article, such as a bolt, therefrom.

Fig. 2, is a view in side elevation of my improved tool.

Fig. 3, is an edge view of a portion thereof and illustratingparticularly the construction of the stationary clamping liaw.

Fig. 4, is a cross sectional View taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5, is a similar View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, numeral 1'indicates the shank of the tool which is preferably made from arelatively long strip of sheet metal doubled upon itself so that theshank is approximately U-shaped in cross section throughout. The rearend of this shank is preferably olfset to form the stationary handle 2while the forward end of the shank has formed integral therewith theclamping jaw 3 which is concavo convex, and of slightly greater Widthbut of less depth than the shank, this stationary jaw being formed bycutting away and spreading the metal at the end of the shank. The edgesof the stationary jaw 3 are preferably serrated or toothed as at`4 toincrease the gripping and holding capacity of the jaw. Directly back ofjaw 3 the rounded back edge 5 kof the shank is cut away or slotted as at6. In this slot, and directly in rear of the stationary jaw is pivotedthe stem 7 of the movable jaw 8 of the tool. This movable jaw with thisstem is also preferably formed ot' a single piece of blank or sheetmetal bent to concavo convex form and decreasing or tapering from thestem toward its outer end, the side edges of this movable jaw beingserrated or toothed as at 9. Of course this movable jaw is assembled toconstitute a companion of the stationary jaw, and it is pivoted to theshank by the pivot lbolt 10 passing through the shank directly in therear of stationary jaw. The free end of the stem 7 of the movable jawextends through or beyond the slot in the back of the shank and to theparts of the stem so eX- tended is pivoted as at 11 one end of therelatively long fiat sheet metal link bar 12. This bar runs diagonallysubstantially the length of the shank proper, that is, it runs 4 fromthe end of the stem 7 diagonally down and between the sides of the shankso that its rear end projects or extends beyond the open edge 13 of theshank, and at the opposite side to the pivot pin 11. The rear end ofthis link bar 12 is pivoted as at 13 to the off-set lever handle 14 thelatter in turn being pivoted as at 15 to the shank, or between the wallsof such shank, the construction being such that the lever handle 14forms a companion of and is oppositely disposed to the stationary handle2.

This handle 14 is also preferably made of a single piece of sheet metalbent or doubled into approximately U-shaped form to correspond to theconstruction of the stationary handle 2.

F rom the above description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings the construction and manner of employing my improved tool willbe readily apparent. It is vto be noted that the tool is of relativelygreat length, with wide spaced handles providing a powerful leverage orgrip, and that the link bar 12 running diagonally to opposite sides oithe shank, and connected with the handle 14 and the stem of the movablejaw 8, when operated through the pressing of the handle 14 toward thehandle 2 will exert great leverage or force upon the movable jaw 8bringing the latter into copera- .tive gripping relation with thestationary jaw so as to firmly clamp the article to the handle. Byreference to F ig. 1, wherein I have conventionally illustrated theengine cylinder A, the manner of using my tool to remove small articlesfrom enginecylinders will be readily understood. Inasmuch as the toolwhile of great length and power 'is in general appearance flat, thin andattenuated,

with no pronounced laterally extending projecting parts, it may bethrust into small restricted openings and into positions or placesbetween machinery where it is practically impossible to reach with theordinary pliers, tongs, wrenches, and the like and I have found thistool by experience to be ot the greatest. convenience in working aroundand about automobiles and engines for by its use and other small partsmay be accurately and quickly handled and placed without the tedious andannoying operation usually incident to such work.

. lvVhile I have herein shown and described one particular embodiment ofmy invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not coniine myself toall precise details herein set forth by way of illust-ration, asmodication and variation may be made without departing from the spiritot the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim- 1. A tool ot the class described comprising a relatively thinshank U-shaped in cross section having a clamping jaw, a'handle pivotedadjacent the rear of the shank between its walls, a'pivoted jawcooperatively associated with the clamping jaw and a thin connecting barsnugly fitting between the walls of the U-shaped bar and linking thepivoted jaw with the handle, the construction being such that arelatively long, thin Ytool devoid of pronounced projecting parts andcapable of being inserted through small restricted openings is provided.Y

2. A tool of the class described comprising an elongated shankterminating at one end in a handle section and at the opposite end in aclamping jaw, said shank having a longitudinally extending slot thereinback of the clamping jaw, a pivoted jaw associated with the* clampingjaw and fulcrumed on the shank and provided with a stem eX- tendingthrough the slot in the shank, a link bar pivoted at its :forward end tothe stem of the pivoted jaw at one side of the shank and extendinglongitudinally and vdiagonally of the shank to the opposite side of thelatter, 'and a lever handle pivoted to the shank in association with thehandle section of the latter and also pivotally connectn ed with therear end of the link bar.

3. A tool ot the class described comprising a shank formed from sheetmetal folded to approximate U-shaped form in cross section, one end ofsaid shank terminating in a handle.l the opposite end of said shankterminating in a stationary jaw, a pivoted jaw associated with thestationary jaw and having a stem pivotally connected with the .shankback of the stationary jaw, a lever handle pivotally connected with theshank adjacent the handle section Yof the latter, and a link pivoted atone end to the lever handle and extending through a slot in the back ofthe U-shaped shank and pivoted at its other end to the stem of thepivoted jaw.

4. A tool of the class described comprising a shank section formed froman elongated strip of approximated U-shaped form in cross section, oneend of said shank terminating in a. grocved jaw, a pivoted grooved jawcooperatively associated with the first mentioned grooved jaw, a pivotedhandle connected with the shank, and a link bar snugly fitting betweenand within the contines of the walls of the shank and connecting thepivoted j aw and the pivoted handle.

5. A tool of the class described comprising a shank section formed froman elongated strip of sheet metal doubled to approximate U-shaped formin cross section, one end of said shank terminating in a handle sectionand the opposite end of said shank being cut away and spread toconstitute a stationary jaw integral with the shank, a sheet metal jawpivotally associated with the stationary jaw and having a stemprojecting through a slot in the back of the shank and at the rear ofthe stationary jaw, a handle pivoted to the shank adjacent thestationary handle section of the latter, and a sheet metal bar connectedto the pivoted handle and running diagonally between the walls of theshank and projecting through the slot in the back of the shank andpivotally connected at its opposite end to the stem of the pivoted jaw.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM HEHMANN.

